Man I can't believe thats what I actually sound like!! The guy querying the fact that I said its the only one is an idiot! There is only one Hi-def VR prototype & thats the one I have. Yes there are at least 2 others out there, but the screen resolution in the helmet is lower than mine!!

My question is... is it 3D in the sense that you get full depth like if you were playing Wolfenstien the full distance of the wall could be "seen" or is the 3D in a tier system where objects are flat but appear at different distances.

Sorry I fell asleep on the couch last night and still can't wake up fully.

Not sure if this counts and I don't have it yet or know when and or if I will but I paid RGC for a copy of their another world. Got an email a month or so ago saying they had experienced cartidge label issues or something and it had been delayed. As yet have not received any reply to my query as to a revised likely done by date. Was so wary ordering and paying for something with such sketchy details and just praying I get some good news soon. But if I do get it it will be pretty rare and cool to have

T2KFreeker wrote:Anyone around here get the Aircars KA version? Cool little version of the game and much more satisfying. Tastes Great and Less Filling!

Got it! I liked the originally released Aircars, even though the graphics were sub par, but while playing it, I never did understand why they didn't at least make the explosions better instead of just building collapsing. KA version answered these questions as it turns out the original ICD version and B&C reprint are both technically BETAS. KA is the real finished deal and it shows, the explosions are much better, A.I. is slightly smarter, landscapes are better (in later levels) and I also like the daylight levels as the others were always "night time" looking. Tastes great! Less filling!

There are several jag games that actually got betas released by Atari as supposed finished projects, as near the end they couldn't pay developers so many refused to send final builds, so Atari, in all their "wisdom," started releasing betas to cash in at the last moment. Fight for Life is another big one that is really a Beta, though the final build has not been found yet. A real shame, as I like it too, even though lots of people think it sucks, and it's another title that generally give the Jag a bad name. The final build probably would have been much better and I still hope it will be found one day.

Gunstar wrote:There are several jag games that actually got betas released by Atari as supposed finished projects, as near the end they couldn't pay developers so many refused to send final builds, so Atari, in all their "wisdom," started releasing betas to cash in at the last moment.

Is there a definitive list of games where this is the case? It'd be helpful for me in my buying decisions, especially in cases when there's a ROM and/or aftermarket release that's superior to the released version.

No list, just knowledge from years of forums and hearing from some former developers. There are only three official releases that were put out that are really betas, Fight for life and World Tour Racing and Zero 5 are titles that had final builds that never got released and betas were substituted, but the final builds of those have never been found or released yet. Aircars is the only one were the final build was released in limited quantities as KA Aircars. In the case of WTR, the developer had a new and faster game "engine" that they never had a chance to implement, so it could have been a better game, but is really finished, just not as good as it might have been, given more time (it's still good enough, IMHO-still blows away the 3DO's F1 racer, that it's my second favorite racer of all time behind 3DO NFS).

Then there are some unpublished titles, like Soulstar that have been floating around in an unfinished or corrupted state. Songbird also published several titles that were either finished by him, and released, like Total Carnage, and then he also released Skyhammer that was a late beta and really a finished game, but still has bugs because they never got through with beta testing to find and repair them, but there's nothing more finished out there than what has been published.

Then there are a few Atari titles that seem like unfinished/unpolished titles that were published, but no word of better versions, Atari just rushed them out the door. I can't think of them right now. I think Checkered Flag was one that got rushed before they could really make it shine.

But, in the case of World Tour Racing, Zero 5 and Skyhammer, don't let the fact that they are late betas keep you from buying them, they are all great games that actually are an asset to the Jaguar, and are finished for all intents and purposes, just not as good as they might have been, but still better than 50% of the Jags "finished" games that just suck or are average.

Gunstar wrote:No list, just knowledge from years of forums and hearing from some former developers. There are only three official releases that were put out that are really betas, Fight for life and World Tour Racing and Zero 5 are titles that had final builds that never got released and betas were substituted, but the final builds of those have never been found or released yet. Aircars is the only one were the final build was released in limited quantities as KA Aircars. In the case of WTR, the developer had a new and faster game "engine" that they never had a chance to implement, so it could have been a better game, but is really finished, just not as good as it might have been, given more time (it's still good enough, IMHO-still blows away the 3DO's F1 racer, that it's my second favorite racer of all time behind 3DO NFS).

I thought World Tour Racing and Zero 5 were both third party games that came out after the Jaguar was discontinued?

Gunstar wrote:No list, just knowledge from years of forums and hearing from some former developers. There are only three official releases that were put out that are really betas, Fight for life and World Tour Racing and Zero 5 are titles that had final builds that never got released and betas were substituted, but the final builds of those have never been found or released yet. Aircars is the only one were the final build was released in limited quantities as KA Aircars. In the case of WTR, the developer had a new and faster game "engine" that they never had a chance to implement, so it could have been a better game, but is really finished, just not as good as it might have been, given more time (it's still good enough, IMHO-still blows away the 3DO's F1 racer, that it's my second favorite racer of all time behind 3DO NFS).

I thought World Tour Racing and Zero 5 were both third party games that came out after the Jaguar was discontinued?

They were games in development under Atari's control (third party developers hired by Atari to do them), then they were released through Telegames publishing, but were licensed for publication through Atari/JTS (after the reverse merger at the end of Atari Corp.). Part of the legalities of Atari's reverse merger into JTS Corp. were that they had to remain a viable company with a viable product for a year before JTS could drop it all. So, to get around the issue, Atari/JTS officially licensed the games to Telegames for publication to fulfill these legal requirements, which is why on the back of the Telegames releases that were done after Atari became JTS, it still has the Atari name, Fuji, and copyrights. They actually are, technically, OFFICIAL Atari releases with Telegames as a "partner!"

Atari/JTS also kept the 'Go Atari' mail order division running at the same time for selling off the stock of Jaguar merchandise, hence legally being a viable company for the needed amount of time. Telegames releases were sold through GO Atari, as well as in stores like EB, etc., and direct from Telegames mail-order. Go Atari mail-order was later sold off. Of course the name Go Atari was kept years afterward just becuase the new owners knew the name was much more recognizable for sales; most people would still think it was Atari.